Monthly Archive

the black keys’ new album. don’t know what it’s called, but we’ve been hearing about this ad-nauseum because, aside from them being a good band already (I’ve only heard random songs here and there) the new album was produced by King Midas himself DangerMouse. Sadly, I do want to hear this, as if I’m going to point out DM’s intricate touches on the record. the Black Key’s new album is being overshadowed by a person who’s not a member of the band, but i bet they’re happy sales for the record will increase five-fold.

the raconteur’s new album leaked earlier than expected on i-Tunes. C’mon Steve Jobs, get your shit together! you’re just trying to one-up the rest of the internet trash by getting the leak out before the rest of them. I’m curious on two fronts: just how many people purchased the album online while it was available, and how many people really want a new raconteurs album. that’s one side project i cant get with. you’d think Jack White with a bass player would kill, but it shows just how much White thrives on simplicity. On a side-note, i used to buy albums all the time before the release date through mom and pop shops, so this was a feel good nostalgic story for me.

REM’s new album is their best in years, and Michael Stipe is gay. Apparently everyone already speculated Stipe was gay to begin with, making indie/alternative rock media just another US Weekly. I do want to hear the new album, Pitchfork says it’s their best since New Adventures in Hi-Fi. My research skills tell me “What’s the Frequency Kenneth” wasn’t on this album (the last REM song i liked), so i have no idea what it sounded like. and their new song sounds like Stipe is likely to die at any moment. hopefully the next single is better.

Fluxblog likes one of the new Janet Jackson songs. doesn’t surprise me at all. i liked one of those Kanye produced songs from the last album that was unsuccessfully marketed for the 106 and Park crowd. So I do agree that Janet sounds better when she’s “sweet” as opposed to Janet if she tried to convince me she would be my personal blow-up doll. why is she pretending to be Mariah Carey? MC is insane-crazy but it works for her at least (even though she wont sell many copies of her new album). Janet just wont learn from the mistakes of Michael.

my future girlfriendMexican pop star Julieta Venegas will be performing in Central Park this summer as part of the Summerstage series, according to the New York Times. As of now, the Times says the show wont be part of the six paid/benefit concerts. If I were a betting man, I would say this will be the closing concert of the Latin Alternative Music Conference, and I’d have to assume the show lands on July 12.

Last year, Cafe Tacuba headlined the event. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to see the show, even though I volunteered for the conference. the line to Summerstage was huge! I settled for listening to the show from outside like the many, many rest of us stragglers and Johnny-come-latelies.

but now I’m older and wiser and know to show up hours in advance.

in other Julieta news, she recently taped a performance for that old MTV relic program Unplugged. According to MTV public relations, the show was “unforgettable. ” But the somewhat cool news here is one of her collaborators for the set: La Mala Rodriguez, who provided a “strong hip hop infusion.” Not my words. Why can’t i get a job for MTV Tres/Latin America publicity? I may not have ever taken any creative writing courses, but i can probably work a thesaurus better than the intern responsible for this copy.

But really, how cool would it be if my future girlfriend on the side La Mala were her opening act? Horny “Latin alternative” boys will all pause for that concert.

Babel might the one movie of all movies ever concieved the was the least deserving of all its High Praise. That was seriously one of the biggest piece-of-shit movies i ever had the displeasure of watching. and to think i was missing on parts of the Georgetown-Pittsburgh game because of it. The most interesting storyline was the Japanese one, and even then I had the misfortune of looking at some girl’s hairy bush (at least that was kind of funny). I wonder what if they made that part as its own movie; i’d imagine it would only work as a short film with just the parts that were shown.

What was Cate Blanchett thinking when she decided she would take part in this? did she owe someone a very large favor, or was she just doing it to get a more desirable role in the future? this is how you under-utilize an otherwise great actor. Brad will do anything, but this is below his standard, the dumbest movie he’s done since Meet Joe Black. The Mexican border scene was just trite. I almost hoped the little girl would die just to see if the lady gets the death sentence for whatever Homeland Security law she may have broken, and how that’s totally not fair and oh how those kids were so cute and blonde! and whatever other ideas and images were thrown at the audience.

Blood Diamonds wasn’t all that either. Leo was cool, but was embarrassing in that “accent.” Jennifer Connoly was attractive as always, and at least she wasn’t as annoying as her part in that movie with the dude from Gladiator where he was super-smart but a total sociopath. the only redeeming performance was that of the guy who played Solomon Vandy. The movie felt like an after school special with the applause for our hero in the end of the movie.

avoid Babel at all costs; and I guess you can watch Blood Diamonds if you want to assure yourselves that contributing to the economy of the diamond industry is always a bad idea, but i’m sure if you have that idea floating in your head, you probably don’t need Leonardo DiCaprio to convey that for you.

i’ll always love the roots. been a loyal consumer since Illadelph Halflife, and no doubt i will exercise my purchasing power on the new album.

this artwork is on some WOW shit! I’ve only heard “black’s reconstruction” (which you can find below this post) and “birthday girl”, two tracks that could not be any more different; i enjoy both immensely, the latter however I have to admit i was not ready for at all. It has the potential to be a summer banger and a frat/sorority house anthem for years to come. I like it better than their prior exploration of pop rock landscape, “the seed 2.0” (which was never really their song to begin with). Here’s a homemade video, the song features Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy. Honestly, I would have never guessed it was him if it wasn’t for internet crybabies screaming out SELL OUT to a group that’s been grinding for more than a decade.

although im light years away from western civilization, i still keep up with what is going on and i have to say that its about time that SOMEBODY mentioned race that wasn’t black in this quest for pres-o-dent. (i like the sound of that) then i realized that “no experience” is the new “race card” in this primary (shhhhh dont tell them that)which then gave me a brilliant idea (c) (blair, facts of life) “let’s reveal the album cover!”why? its practically parallel with Geraldine Ferraro comment with “america being in love with a concept” (and im sorry….i dont believe the “concept” she speaks of is about his”hope will save the day” talk. i think the concept she is talking about is the unspoken issue that NOONE on fox news has yet to say.don’t make me say it.

matter of fact i won’t say it.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNPeG-WtXt4 on the word “it”)but i will lead you to the subject matter of the cover.The Reconstruction period in American History.this drawing is entitled NEGRO RULE. and it pretty much sums up the feeling of the Confederate Union towards the newly freed slaves and the idea that if given power they would reek havoc and chaos on the country.

somehow in watching this election one can’t help but wonder if those unspoken feelings—– (btw…”if obama was a white man” is also the new nig—ok…im sorry….black)– reflect the looming figure of the old figureheads of washington now?

We are enjoying our tenure down here in southeast asia. even more amused at all of this birthday girl madness going on. the OFFICIAL video (meaning the one we pay for with our own dollars) will be mired in more controversy once you get wind of who we got to star in this bit. i just hope that this won’t tarnish the O campaign im associated with (i mean after all in two weeks we done kilted whitey, gave the finga to the innnaNET, and now eyeing all the 18 year olders in the house? sheeesh political indeed!

On a slightly related note, i think i really like this unofficial roots video because the birthday girl in question bears a resemblence to Zooey Deschanel. she’s so hot, i want to be on her (c) Ron Burgundy. Props to FallOutG1rl4ever for posting that video. LMAO.

usher – love in the club. incredible song. pure bubble gum satisfaction. usher sings yet again about the club, particularly about hooking up with a girl (yet again). played subject, but who cares when it sounds this good. Jeezy turning in an awkward verse, i almost wish he was talking about cocaine in this ballad of sorts. he’s not quite the sex symbol T.I. is. this is the biggest of hit of the year so far.

missy elliot – ching a ling/shake it like a pom-pom I’m a missy apologist. i wasnt feeling the song the first go-aroung, but after a few listens it’s stuck on me. her videos have become less interesting ove the years, a parallel to her music really. but i’ll listen to anything from elliot; i even halfway enjoeyd that song that pimped the Stick It movie (i liked that movie as well). the real treat here is Shake it Like A Pom-Pom. Even the portion of the video for this brings a sense of resuscitation to her career. she’s gonna need it to follow up her very disappointing last album.

ray j – sexy can i i cant believe i like this song. it might have something with the pretty ladies in the video. or maybe it might have to do with this song playing at work like twice a day. the only reason i even payed any attention is because he made quite possibly the worlds most boring sex tape ever with bonafide hot chick Kim Kardashian. The Drama Queen Kay Slay makes an appearance, representing real hip hop by releasing a mixtape with Brandy’s brother. He’s a true d-bag, that Kay Slay. Seems I like the song for any reason beside the song itself.

the roots – 75 bars (black’s reconstruction) the roots at their minimalist best: black though tearing up the track, Questlove killing the kit, an ominous bassline in the backdrop. Parallel to the song, the video also features some presumably killed. It would be a pleasant surprise if this album is better than the excellent Game Theory; they’re off to a good start.

gnarles barkley – run seems to be going toard a cee-lo green direction than a gnarles project, and i like the sound of that. i only liked a third of that overrated album anyway. the video hurt my eyes a bit, but that’s probably because i’m getting older and i was toiling at reading a book with small print to begin with. But MTV is catering to me by banning the video due to the possibilty of epileptic seizures. c’mon MTV lighten up, dude! kids are on drugs anyway! they’d like it, but i’m assuming your target audience would prefer the flashy imagery of The Hills, coming soon!